Chilled Carrot Soup

The dog days of August have me by the ankles! For those who don't know me well, and for those who do but choose to ignore my obsessive personality, let me mention that I like to garden. Unfortunately, I garden pretty obsessively, so that means that I am knee deep in the 24 (yep!) tomato plants that I put in back in May and the 14 (yep!) giant pumpkin vines I planted in June.

But this post is about Chilled Carrot Soup, because no matter when I plant my tomatoes, they never hit full stride until the end of August or the beginning of September. But it's HOT outside (okay, hotter than it's been, but not really hot) and I'm busy chasing down gophers and voles and mulching pumpkins and pollinating them too, but that's another story. And because I love chilled soups and this one is the perfect canvas on which to improvise, I'm sharing my recipe with you.




Chilled Carrot Soup
2 lbs. Carrots; Peeled and Chunked
2 T.  Butter
Spices (I used Turmeric, Cumin, Dried Cilantro, Nutmeg, Paprika, and Ginger)
Fresh Ground Pepper and Fine Sea Salt
White Wine, Vermouth, or Chicken Broth (or a mix of all three)

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan.
2. When butter begins to brown, toss in spices and stir; let the heat release the oils for 15-30 seconds and then toss in the carrots.
3. Gently brown the carrots until they are lightly caramelized (about 15 minutes). You may need to add just a bit of liquid, but you shouldn't add more than a tablespoon or two or else you will no longer be caramelizing the carrots.
4. When the carrots are caramelized, add the liquid and simmer until the carrots are tender.
5. Let cool, completely, in the liquid and then process in small batches in a blender or food processor adding additional liquid to achieve the desired consistency.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Chill.
8. Serve with creme fraiche (or you can add a little heavy cream to sour cream to thin) and top with fresh snipped chives.